Rejects allegations against Sindh government over traffic jams during CM’s recent visit to Karachi
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi addresses the media on Friday, December 19, 2025.
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi on Tuesday warned that the law and order situation in the province had deteriorated sharply, criticizing the chief minister for traveling to other provinces for political protests while the province remained gripped by violence.
Speaking at a press conference, Kundi urged the provincial government to stop “playing on both sides of the wicket” and fully support state institutions in the fight against terrorism. He said police, soldiers and government employees were targeted daily across the province.
Referring to the recent incidents, the governor cited the killing of policemen in Tank, a district of KP, an upsurge in terrorist attacks in Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and other districts, stressing that the situation required urgent attention from the provincial leadership. He recalled that seven police officers were killed when a police armored vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device while traveling from Gomal to Tank.
Read: CTD kills six terrorists in targeted operations in KP
Kundi said military operations were underway to restore peace, but he questioned whether the provincial government was showing the seriousness required to confront the threat. He called for strengthening the operational capacities of the police and the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), and questioned whether Levies personnel merged with the police force had received adequate training.
Referring to the use of drones to transport explosives to Tank and DI Khan, Kundi said such attacks required technical expertise. “If this terrorism is not being carried out from Afghanistan, then who is? he asked, adding that instead of demanding evidence from elsewhere, the chief minister should seek a detailed briefing from the inspector general of police and security agencies.
The governor said internally displaced people were arriving from areas such as Kurram and should be properly accommodated. He urged political parties and institutions to unite against terrorism, noting that despite reservations, his party participated in the President’s All-Party Conference for the sake of peace.
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Directly targeting the chief minister, Kundi slammed him for leaving the province to hold protests in other provinces while KP was “burning”. He also dismissed allegations against the Sindh government over traffic jams during the chief minister’s recent visit to Karachi, saying protocol and security were ensured and no political activities were hampered.
Kundi warned that the deteriorating security situation was discouraging investments despite the discovery of oil, gas and mineral resources in the southern and merged districts. “How will investors come when even the police are not safe? he asked.
He also called on the federal government to announce mega development projects for KP, saying the province had not received any in the last two years. He urged the Prime Minister to visit the province and support institutions operating under difficult conditions.
Lamenting governance over the past 13 years, the governor said KP was lagging behind other provinces in health, education and infrastructure, pointing out that no cricket stadium of international standards had been constructed. He added that players from the province always deserved fair representation in the national cricket team.
On the political front, Kundi accused the provincial government of indirectly giving space to the banned TTP and warned that Talibanization could not be tolerated. He described the May 9 riots as the darkest chapter in Pakistan’s political history and said strict sanctions were needed to prevent a repeat, adding that the matter was sub-judice and should not be politicized.
He concluded by urging the provincial government to prioritize peace, strengthen institutions, fight corruption and work with the federation to secure the borders and stabilize the province.
Safe Cities Project
Meanwhile, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Afridi chaired a meeting to review the progress of the Safe Cities project, directing the authorities to expedite the work and ensure its timely completion. According to a briefing, the Peshawar Safe City project will be completed by January 31, 2026, with 711 modern cameras installed at 133 locations.
The project is extended to divisional headquarters and merged districts including Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu and Lakki Marwat, while PC-I documents have been prepared for Karak, Tank and North Waziristan. Surveys for the merged districts have been completed and the entire province will gradually be brought under the Safe City system.
